The darkness that lies within
by Blaquediamond Princess
Summary: Riku, Kairi, Wakka, Tidus & Selphie...all dead...Sora is the only one left behind, the only one who knows what really happened.But what really happened?What is this darkness that surrounds Sora's heart? One thing is sure nothing really is what it seems...
1. The darkness that lies within

**_Hello everyone! Welcome to the show!_**

**_Now, this story right here will not be like any other I've posted before, because YOU(the reader) can decide how it will go. For furher information check out my bio and click on my forum link to know the details._**

**Pairings : Riku&Sora, Wakka&Kairi, Tidus&Selphie**

**Genre : That's up to you to decide**

**Rating : May go up as the story develops itself**

**Full Summary : Sora finds himself locked up in a psychiatric institution after claiming that all of his friends got murdered by something that he can't explain. Yet the autopsies clearly show that their deaths were accidental or caused by suicide... What really happened? What's behind the darkness of Sora's heart? Will he find the truth before it's too late?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the wonderful characters used in this story and there is no self-profit attached to it, it's purely for my enjoyment and that of others.**

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The darkness that lies within - Introduction & settings

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_**

A small, brown haired young man of barely 21 sat in the middle of an immaculate white room in front of a metallic table. His sapphire blue eyes were staring lifelessly at the silver surface of the table and only looked up as a blonde man with a white jacket entered the room. He directed his eyes back to the table and didn't even move from his slouched position on the chair he was currently sitting on.

The man sat himself on the chair on the other side of the table and looked at the young man with a worried expression on his face. "Could you tell me what's happened, Sora?"

Sora only raised his eyes up to him, looking at him through the locks of his hair hanging in front of his face. A small smirk appeared on his features and his eyes glinted in an almost insane way. "They're dead, doc," Was all he said with a husky voice before his eyes fell back on the table and his face became as lifeless as it had been a few seconds before.

The blonde man waited for a while and then sighed softly; "Sora, please… they're going to take you away, where I won't be able to help you."

"I don't care anymore, Cloud," Sora whispered without looking up, "I've lost everything. They're all gone…"

Cloud shook his head desperately, "But going to a mental institution won't bring them back! It won't bring Riku back!"

A lonely tear appeared from underneath Sora's bangs and he whispered; "After everything that has happened, I don't even know what the truth is anymore… I've been on the verge of insanity for too long… Maybe I have lost it… just like I lost Riku…" A shaky smile appeared on his face and he slightly chuckled. "It should all end with me…"

"Stop this! Pull yourself together! This isn't you!" Cloud cried, honestly getting frightened by his friend's and patient's behaviour.

"How can you tell if this really isn't me!" Sora suddenly hollered, knocking the chair backwards as he stood and putting his fists on the table, looking furiously at Cloud. "I've watched them get killed, Cloud!"

Cloud just sat there looking at him and then closed his eyes in defeat, "The autopsies clearly showed that none of them got murdered… Tidus and Selphie killed themsel—"

With a groan the brunette took hold of his head and walked away from the doctor, "That's what they want you to believe! Tidus and Selphie got murdered! Just like Wakka, Kairi and… and Riku…" Sora whimpered, his breath coming in short gasps as he looked at no point in particular with an eerie look on his face.

Cloud stood up and held his hands up in defence, trying to calm to distressed brunette down, "Ok, ok. Then who Sora? Who killed them? You were the only one there when Riku fell out of that window…"

By now Sora was sobbing softly and sunk on the floor in a corner of the room, "I don't know…" He whispered, holding his head and directing his eyes up to the blonde, "I don't know…"

Cloud bit his lower lip, his conscience telling him that this was compromising proof against Sora's sanity, but his heart not wanting to see his friend lose his freedom for something he thought happened when it didn't. Sora wouldn't just be making things up like this, would he? Losing Riku was a total shock for him, but that happened almost a year ago and he had seemed to be doing really well since then…

"What really happened, Sora? Tell me your side of the story." Cloud gently inquired, sitting himself next to the now anxious brunette.

"You want to hear it all?" Sora shakily asked with a strange smile, fidgeting with the sleeves of his white long-sleeved t-shirt, his once so vital and joyful blue eyes filled with a worrisome indifference.

The doctor nodded and glanced at the large mirror in the wall opposite from where they were sitting, "I want to know everything."

Sora sniffled and then nodded, "O-okay. It's a long story…"

"I have all the time," Cloud whispered back, smiling down at him.

"Okay…"

"Alright… Just close your eyes and let it all come back"

Sora took a deep breath and closed his eyes, bringing back the last happy period of his life…

**_

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A year and a half ago, on a private beach in the Destiny _****_Islands_** **_Archipelago… _**

_I remember that night when it all started like it was just yesterday. We were all having fun at a beach party. Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, Kairi, Riku and me. It was the perfect night to just hang out and listen to the music while watching the waves rolling onto the shoreline._

_Tidus had just returned from the bar with a couple of drinks for us and was talking to his girlfriend, Selphie Kamiko._ _Wakka and Kairi were sitting next to Riku and me, talking softly to each other. Riku was sitting behind me, telling me about the plans we had made to take his yacht the next day. His warm breath was playing gently against my right ear, his hands massaging the flesh of my hips he was holding. Everything was so perfect then, nothing could've got gone wrong. But it did… it so did…_

_"Hey Riku," Tidus called out, catching everyone's attention, "remember that house we saw in the woods the other day?"_

_"Yeah," he responded, his lips leaving my ear, his face directed towards the other blonde in front of us, "what about it?"_

_"What do you say we go check it out?" Tidus excitedly said, starting to get up._

_"Now?"_ _Riku said, and I agreed, "It's too dark to see anything, man."_

_"We can always ask the DJ a latern?" Wakka then said. I looked at him and I could read the excitement on his face. I had to admit that I was also starting to get curiousabout this house._

_"Does anyone live in that house?" I asked, directing my head up to Riku._

_"When Tidus and I last went and looked through the dusty windows, it looked quite empty." He answered, shrugging and directing himself towards Tidus again. "There's not much to do there, Giovanni." _

_"An empty house in the middle of the forest… I wonder why no one lives there anymore." Kairi softly whispered, tucking a strand of her long auburn hair behind her right ear. "It sounds kinda creepy, you guys."_

_"Don't worry, I'll protect ya from Oogie Boogie…" Wakka whispered to her, enclosing his girlfriend's body into a soothing embrace. She giggled and then squeaked as he playfully planted his teeth in the crook of her left shoulder and neck. "I'll protect ya from everything that will come up and bite you!"_

_"But who's gonna protect me from you?" Kairi chuckled, pushing his face away from her shoulder and standing up._

_"Ok let's just go, I really want to see that house already!" Selphie exclaimed, standing up next to her boyfriend and raising her hands up in the air in total excitement. "Let's go let's go let's go!"_

_Only Riku and I were still sitting in the sand now and he looked down at me with a defeated sigh. I gave him an amused shrug and a few moments later the six of us disappeared into the dark woods on the other side of the island..._

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_Nothing really is what it seems..._

**_-BDP-_**


	2. And so, it began

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Here's finally an update people! Yay for me? Ah well, let's see what I've made of it, I hope you'll like!

Do enjoy!

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1. And so, it began...

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As we penetrated deeper and deeper into the woods of the island, following Tidus, I had an unsettling feeling growing inside of me. I don't know, maybe it was the fact that it kept getting darker the farther we went, or because the density of the trees around us grew thicker and blocked all other light coming from above or because of all the nocturnal, creepy noises around us, but I suddenly didn't feel right about our little excursion anymore. I didn't want to look like I was chickening out, so I tightened the hold I had on Riku's right arm. His reassuring smile shone down on me and we continued to follow Tidus and Selphie, who were walking a few meters ahead of us.

After almost 20 minutes, I heard Kairi whine behind Riku and me.

"You guys? How much further?"

Riku's hand on my left hip tightened a little as he helped me step over a few slippery stones near the small rivulet bank we were walking on now.

"Giovanni, I don't remember walking for so long last time." Riku said with a slight frown. I looked up at him with a questioning face. He grunted and quickened his step to catch up with Tidus.

"Chill, Rik. I know where we're going. It's just a little farther." Tidus reassuringly said, turning his face towards us with a grin. "Enjoy the scenery or something, we're almost there."

I sighed in annoyance, really not feeling like going much deeper into those creepy woods. Riku reassuringly smiled down at me, reading my thoughts off my face like he always did and rubbing the tip of his nose against mine.

"What if we're lost?" I quietly whispered up to him.

He only chuckled, the sound deep and comforting. "Then I wouldn't be too worried, because you're with me."

I felt a small smile wanting to spread over my lips, but I held it back, not wanting to be amused. I wanted to feel safe and somewhere I could at least see 3 feet ahead of me. In a result I pouted.

"We'll be back on the beach soon, I promise." He said with a small chuckle, pressing his lips on the crown of my head in a soft kiss and squeezing the flesh of my left hip affectionately.

I only grunted and he chuckled again.

A few minutes later we found an old, abandoned path running through the woods. It looked like it had been run down quite a lot in the past, because of two bare streaks of earth running in between the grass growing on each side of them.

There was finally some moonlight coming through from above, indicating that the trees weren't packed together anymore and that we could finally see were we setting our feet on.

"Feeling a little better?" Riku whispered in my ear and I nearly jumped.

"No." I said, still a little grumpy from before. I let go of his hand and wriggled out of the hold he had on me. "I want to go back. I don't have a good feeling about this."

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you." He softly whispered back, taking me in his arms. "We won't even enter the house, if that's what you want. But we can't go back on our own; we're safer with the group."

"It's alright Sora." Kairi softly spoke as she passed us by, hanging by Wakka's muscular right arm. "We got our men to protect us." She winked and giggled.

I watched her walk further for a moment before the back of Riku's right hand on my face brought me back to his attention. Kairi was right, I should trust Riku, he wouldn't bring me somewhere I would be sure to get hurt, now would he? Maybe I was just being paranoid because it was dark and because of the constant hooting of those damn owls in the night around us.

"Ok…" I whispered back, sliding my right arm around his hips. I still wasn't feeling a hundred percent sure about all of it, but I figured that if Riku trusted it, then that I should as well.

The road wasn't really that long after all, because a few meters further, we saw a gate obstructing our way further down the road, behind it the silhouette of a gigantic, old mansion. Even though the moon stood beside it like an eerie, pale globe up in the black sky and no clouds obstructed its light, there was still a shadow falling on the house. The many windows now resembled lifeless eyes staring back at us, the double front doors a mouth waiting to swallow us whole. On top of the house stood a weathercock, twirling on itself rapidly.

There wasn't even the slightest wind.

I couldn't help but tremble in fright. There was something about that house that just wasn't right.

"Is this it?" Selphie wondered, peering through the iron bars. "Hey, it's unlocked." She said, giving the gate a small push and watching it swing open a little.

Riku frowned and took a step closer to Tidus. "Last time there was a chain around the bars. The gate was locked."

"Then how'd you guys get in?" Wakka asked.

"We climbed over." Tidus said with a shrug. "Guess we're luckier this time." He pushed the gate, opening it further.

"You guys, maybe this house isn't as deserted as you might think." Kairi said, taking a step back in doubt. "There's a car." She said pointing at the dark silhouette of a vehicle near the left wing of the house.

"It was there last time too, Kai." Tidus reassuringly spoke. "We checked it last time, it's not working."

I ran my hands over my arms, feeling cold even though we were in the middle of summer and I was already wearing a long sleeved shirt. Riku came back to me and asked me if I felt alright, running his hands comfortingly over my shoulders.

"I'm cold." I whispered back. He immediately threw his arms around me, pressing his lips against my forehead while rubbing his hands against my back, creating a little heat with the friction.

"Better?" He smiled back, looking at me now. I smiled up at him, knowing that I had to be a little annoying to him right now and held him to me.

"A little." His lips met mine softly and I closed my eyes, feeling like his presence could chase away all the insecure feelings I felt at that moment. "I don't want to go in there."

Riku only smiled softly, his right hand playing in my hair comfortingly. "Then we won't go in. I've been there already."

My eyes closed in relief and I rested my head against his firm chest. You know that feeling you have when you're in the safest place you know? Mine was right there.

"I don't feel like going in there either, baby." I heard Kairi whisper to Wakka, holding him back as he had wanted to take a step closer to the gate.

"Doll, I didn't come all this way to stand in front of a gate." Wakka whispered back to her, taking her face in his hands.

"Ok, but be careful and hurry back." She whispered up to him with a worried smile.

I watched how he pressed a kiss against her forehead and then on the tip of her nose. "I'll be back before you know it. Just stay here with Riku and Sora, alright?"

He turned and passed through the gate, closely followed by Tidus and Selphie. All three of them soon disappeared through the gaping mouth of the house, engulfed into the darkness of that sinister place.

For some reason I only kept feeling colder, my body starting to shiver even though Riku's warm arms were enveloping me in a protective embrace.

"I hope they come back soon." Kairi whispered after a lapse of 10 minutes had passed.

I laid my gaze on her and silently wished for the same thing, the 'fun' had stretched itself long enough.

And sure enough, only a moment passed before we saw our three friends coming out of the clutches of the house and passing through the gate again.

"Found something interesting in there?" Riku asked them, taking over a bunch of papers Tidus had been holding. "What are these?"

"We think those are the deed papers of the house." Selphie chirped in, beating some dust off her mini-skirt. "We might figure out who the last owner of that house was."

"Or, if there's none, claim it for ourselves." Tidus added with a smile. "You've seen how it is inside, man. If we could tidy it up, we might make it into a club or something like that."

"Or sell it for some hard cash." Wakka said with a nod, already starting to walk back down the road with Kairi.

Riku held the papers for me to look at as well and I noticed how old these documents actually were. "Did you check the date? It's says 1902…" I said and immediately discovered that they hadn't checked the date by the dumbfounded look on their faces. "There must be a reason why it's been vacant for so long…?"

Selphie snorted and took the papers out of my hands. "Come on, Sora! Stop being so paranoid! Maybe no one discovered it yet, except for us!"

"Still, I think we should go do some research on the house before even thinking of doing anything else with it." Riku spoke, coming to my defence as usual. I could feel his warm, comforting hand sliding underneath the hem of my shirt and caress circles on the skin there. "Maybe it's not so bad to be a little paranoid; better save than sorry."

I could see Selphie roll her eyes at that, but she remained silent.

"Then alright, let's do some research at school, there's a large archive database there." Tidus offered, as we began to walk away from the house and its gate.

"That's a good place to start." I heard Riku say, though I was barely listening anymore as I looked back at the house, finding one of its front doors swaying gently in a non-existing wind while the weathercock was standing eerily still.

And was I the only one to have noticed the sudden silence of the howls?

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Riku rolled off of me after our lovemaking and I laid myself on my side, facing away from him but soon finding his arms encircling my waist and the moistness of his lips against my left shoulder.

"When will you finish your classes tomorrow?" I asked him, turning off my bedside lamp and plunging the room in transparent darkness.

"At 2, but afterwards I'm meeting Tidus in the campus' library for our research on that house." His naked body was pressed against mine, radiating warmth and yet I still felt cold even though we got home over two hours ago.

"You guys really intend to go through with it, don't you…" I whispered softly, tightening my hold on his arms embracing me. The mere thought about that house made my body turn cold and I shivered.

"Are you still worried about that house?" He asked, coaxing me to turn around and taking me in his arms.

I nodded, closing my eyes. "There's something unsettling about it… I can't explain it, but…"

"I believe you…" He whispered and I looked up at him. "If you say that the house makes you uncomfortable then it does…"

"You won't think of me as annoying?" I whispered softly, recalling the way Selphie had reacted to me earlier.

"Never." He chuckled and I felt his lips on my head. "How long have we been together now?"

"I can't remember, feels like forever." I whispered back, holding him tighter.

He laughed, lying himself on his back now, that deep smooth voice of his making butterflies flutter in my stomach. "Babe…"

"Yes?" I said, looking up at him from my head's position on his chest.

"I'll always be on your side." He stated, looking me deep in the eyes. I smiled at that, though it was only briefly.

"Even when the world is against me?" I wondered, not realising then that it was out loud.

"Definitely." He softly spoke back, treading his fingers through my hair, making little tingling sensations to run down my spine.

"Even if that means that our friends turn on us?" I whispered, creping on top of him now.

"Do you really think it'll come down to that?" He asked me with a smile his fingers still going through my hair.

_**Oh Riku… my metaphorical knight in shining armour, how lost do I feel without you now…**_

"I just don't know what to think. Sometimes I feel like I've lost all contact with them." I laid myself on his chest, my face turned to the side as I listened to the steady heartbeat of his heart. "I really don't know."

"Even Wakka and Kairi?" He softly spoke while I felt him pull the blanket over our naked bodies.

I yawned and snuggled closer to him. Nodding silently. "Oh…" He whispered comfortingly. "I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding."

"I hope it is…" I softly replied, the clutches of sleep taking me in their grip. "I wouldn't want to see our friendship end because of it."

"Just sleep, you're tired…" If I hadn't indeed been dead tired I would've got told him off for blowing me off like he did, but in the end, his caring words would prove themselves to be proof of his heartfelt affection toward me, as always…

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Big, angry green eyes and pouting lips were directed at me as I turned around from the pharmacy cabinet with a bottle of antiseptic in my right hand and a ball of cotton in the other.

"Will it sting…?" The little five year old boy in front of me whispered bravely, his eyes set on determination now, though it was easy to tell he was a little frightened.

I smiled at him and applied little of the solution on the cotton ball. "Close your eyes and it'll be over in no time." I reassuringly spoke to him. He did as I told him to and I decided to distract his mind from what I was about to do. "I hear your mom gave you a big birthday party yesterday."

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! There was a cowboy blowing balloons and a castle me and my friends could jump in! It was so much fun Sora-san! All my friends came, but why didn't you come Sora-san?"

I gave him an endeared smile and ruffled his black hair. "Because I had a lot of work. I'm really sorry that I missed your party, Evan. I wish I had been there."

"Will you come next time, Sora-san?" He asked as I lifted him up from the medical bed and put him on his feet.

I nodded. "Now go on and be careful this time."

He frowned, only then realising that I had already disinfected his wound and looking down at his right knee. "Hey, it didn't even hurt!" He happily exclaimed.

"Waw, you really are a big boy now!" I replied with a chuckle, turning around to take a lollypop from the jar on my desk.

"Yay!" He chirped, taking the candy out of my hand and bouncing out the door. "Thanks Sora-san!"

I laughed softly and stood straight again, placing the antiseptic back on its spot in the pharmacy cabinet.

_**That was what I did; I was in my fourth and final year of college studying paediatrics and an apprentice paediatrician to Quistis-san, the resident paediatrician of the children day-care centre on the campus. On days like those, I usually took over when she was absent, gone to one of her medical conventions or on another business trip.**_

_**I loved this part-time job, not only because it complemented my studies perfectly, but also because it prepared me a little for my upcoming four years of medical school. It wasn't always easy and sometimes I felt myself on the verge of giving up, but the dream of becoming a doctor always fuelled up my ambitions.**_

_**And of course, Riku helped a lot too.**_

"You know, Evan-chan has taken a real liking to you."

I turned around and found Marlene, one of the teachers, standing by the door.

"He's a good kid." I spoke with a chuckle as I removed my rubber gloves.

"Nakami-san just picked him up and asked me why you weren't present at Evan's party yesterday." She entered the room and sat herself on one of the chairs near the door. "Why didn't you come? She finally wanted to meet you, since Evan seems to be talking about you a lot."

I sighed and scratched the back of my head. "Riku had planned something at the last minute and I found myself with my hands tied."

She gave me a suspicious look. "Literally or figuratively?"

I emitted an annoyed sound and gave her a look. "I'll excuse myself to her personally tomorrow morning."

"Talking about your gorgeous boyfriend, he's on line two." She casually informed me.

"You only tell me now?" I reprimanded her jokingly, now walking over to the phone that hung against the wall near the pharmacy cabinet. "Nice try though."

She stuck out her tongue to me and I chuckled.

**_Marlene was already 27 and had finished her studies in elementary and kindergarten education two years ago. She started her job as a teacher at Balamb_** **_College_** **_Children Day Care Centre last year, on the same day I started there. We quickly became good friends and the moment she saw Riku when he picked me up that day, she had had a rush on him. she didn't tell me, of course, knowing that Riku was my boyfriend, but I could tell and today it's no secret to anyone anymore, not even Riku. She accepted my relationship with Riku, but that didn't mean she let go of the pranks relating to the subject._**

_"Why is it that every time I get her on the phone she's pms-ing?"_

I laughed. "Marlene is just jealous because she's about to grow old alone." I ducked out of the way of the pen flying towards me. "Hey baby."

_"Are you off? Do you want me to come and pick you up?"_

"No, I'll just meet you at 'Bahamut' in ten. I can still walk a 100 meters without you helping me standing, baby." I whispered with a chuckle.

_"Ok, but I can be at the day-care in two minutes…" _

"Then you'll just have to be patient for eight more minutes." I said, opening my log book that lay on the desk in front of me. "I know you just want to show off that new car of yours. Maybe Marlene would want to go for a ride." I said, looking at the honey brown haired woman who gave me a playful scowl.

I heard him chuckle on the other side. "_On second thought, think_ _I'll just meet you at' Bahamut'. See you later babe._"

"Later." I hung up and finished the entry in my log book before closing it and taking off the white jacket I wore.

"So, for when's the wedding?"

"So stingy today, Marlene." I chuckled, walking to the annexed changing room. "Forgot to take you pills again?" I opened my locker and put on my thick, white knitted turtleneck sweater and my shoulder bag. I arranged my bangs and looked at my face in the mirror behind me. I noticed the dark circles underneath my eyes and pouted slightly at my reflection. I admit, I hadn't had the slightest bit of sleep the night before, but it was the reason for it that made me upset. How could one believe that a house was actually hunted? I shook the idea off of me for the umpteenth time that day and walked out of the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 9, Marlene." I called after her as I now locked up the nurse room and she walked her way down the hallway and into her little class room.

I walked down the hall and was about to take a right turn into the west-wing corridor when I suddenly noticed black stains on the grey floor and white wall ahead of me near the exit door. I chuckled in endearment at first, thinking that one of the teachers must've had a painting workshop today and lost sight of one of the infants. I stepped towards the exit and took a closer look at the imprints that I now recognised as a set of 4 imprints of bare hands and feet. A frown then grew on my face.

What in the world was this? Did a child walk bare footed here? And if so, why did the tracks only begin 8 feet away from the exit door to abruptly end 3 feet before it?

I squinted my eyes and what at first had seemed like paint to me from afar, now looked like a powdery substance that was faded out on some places.

"Ash?" I wondered, did the day-care have any chimneys?

I looked behind me, finding the hallway to be empty, only the sounds of laughing children in the distance perturbed the otherwise constant, soft zooming of the fluorescent lamps. Was I somehow hallucinating?

A chill ran down my spine and the same angst as the night before took hold of me again, making me gasp. I closed my eyes and shook it off me, opening the exit door and running out of the building.

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My plate of macaroni and cheese was starting to grow cold as I merely picked at it, my appetite suddenly gone.

"It still doesn't mean anything, Sora." Riku said comfortingly, bringing his glass of water to his mouth.

"Still, I'd prefer if you didn't go. There's something weird about that house, I know it." I whispered back, watching him stand up and wipe his mouth with a tissue before walking over to my side of the table.

"Come." He held out his hand to me.

I took his hand and stood with a slight pout on my face. "I'm being serious, Riku."

He led me to our living room and turned on the stereo, the device coming to life with a slow jazzy number.

"Come here." He took me in an embrace and we started to dance slowly, his face buried in the junction of my right shoulder and my neck. "You're so tense; you didn't even touch your plate…"

I sighed and held him close to me, my eyes fluttering shut as I felt his lips pressing moist kisses on my skin. "Don't go to that house… Please…"

"It'll be broad day light and I promise nothing is going to happen to me." He whispered back and his right hand took hold of the back of me head, his fingers sliding through my hair the most wonderful of feelings.

Like always, I found myself giving in to him and I moved my head out of our embrace to look at him with an expression stuck between worry and sadness. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you, Riku." I whipsered and I could feel my eyes begin to water up at the mere thought of life without him. I moved in to embrace him again, embarassed that I somehow had to feel the way I did. I didn't feel like talking to him about what had happened to me at the day-care either, just so not to worry him. "Don't go doing anything reckless, tomorrow okay? You and Tidus go over there and come back immediately, right?"

He chuckled and his embrace tightened on me. "Okay, mommy." He pressed a soft kiss on the junction of my right shoulder and neck again. "I'm not ready to step out of your life. Not now, not ever. Please don't worry."

I looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from rolling down my face. "It's too late…" I half whispered, half chuckled, sniffling. "I'm already worrying."

"Babe… this is really getting to you isn't it?" He looked at me now, a concerned expression on his face.

I wiped away my tears and nodded. "Yeah," I sniffled and looked up at him, while shaking my arms so I could wipe my cheeks dry with the sleeves of my sweater. "But if you really feel it's important to you, then just go. But be careful...?"

"Oh, Sora…" Another embrace and I held him tightly to me. "I love you."

"I love you too." My voice was but a mere whisper, my heart now anxiously beating in my chest.

_**If I had known what was about to happen, I would've stopped him that night. If I had known how things were going to go from then on, I would've never let him go to that house.**_

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To be continued…

_**-BDP-**_


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